Run Terry Run (2025)★ 10.0/10

I’ve known the story of Terry Fox for most of my life, but the new documentary RUN TERRY RUN made me think about his story differently. As someone who lives with cerebral palsy, I connected with Terry in a way that goes beyond simply being inspired by what he accomplished. Obviously, Terry’s disability and mine are very different, but I understand what it feels like to live in a body that doesn’t always cooperate with you. I also know what it’s like for people to see the disability before they see the person. That’s one of the things I admire most about Terry. He didn’t pretend that losing his leg didn’t affect him. He struggled. He was in pain. Some days were incredibly difficult. His disability was part of his life, but it wasn’t the entirety of who he was. Watching him run also made me think about the way we talk about disabled people. We’re often either underestimated or turned into inspirational stories simply because we exist. Terry’s story feels different to me. What makes him inspiring isn’t just that he was an amputee who ran across Canada. It’s why he ran. He saw other people suffering from cancer and wanted to do something about it. And then he actually did. There’s something incredibly powerful about watching this young guy running down Canadian highways on one leg, day after day, not because he wanted people to tell him how brave he was, but because he wanted people to pay attention to something bigger than himself. The hardest part of this movie is knowing how the story ends. You know Terry isn't going to make it across Canada. You know his cancer is going to return. And eventually you know that this determined, stubborn, funny young man you're watching isn't going to survive. That hit me hard. But I don't think Terry's story is ultimately about losing. He didn't finish the Marathon of Hope himself, but look at what happened because he started it. People kept running. People kept donating. People kept telling his story. More than four decades later, we're still talking about Terry Fox. As a Canadian with a disability, there's something especially meaningful to me about that legacy. Terry showed that having a disability doesn't mean you stop having ambitions, opinions, goals, or something to contribute to the world. You don't need to become nondisabled before your life can matter. That message means a lot to me. This movie reminded me why Terry Fox isn't simply an important Canadian figure to me. He's someone whose story makes me think about disability, determination, and what it means to leave something behind that becomes bigger than yourself. Overall, Terry didn't get to finish his run, but we’ve been running for him ever since. Definitely see RUN TERRY RUN when it hits Canadian theaters October 9th.